1200 Hours April 5th, 25 AS
SPEW Docks
YWS Station
After two years of construction, the SPEW Gryphon III was ready to be launched from the docks. A massive crowd of four people had shown up, five counting Grif. Alteran was one of them. Attending the reception was Alteran, Jennafina, Areida, and Evi. All of them were Captains of ships on YWS, except Areida, who was the leader of the dreaded SPEW Commandos.
"Is this everyone?" Alteran asked.
"Firearris said she would come by, but she's always busy, so I don't know," Grif said.
"Well, it's a nice ship!" Jennafina said.
"It's very shiny!" Areida agreed. They all looked up at the massive ship. It was larger than a World War II aircraft carrier and had enough room for several hundred members, cargo, even smaller craft like fighters and shuttles. Built in the secrecy of the SPEW Construction Yards, it was the latest ship in the YWS fleet. It was a wonder more people didn't show up.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of running as Firearris arrived.
"Sorry I'm late! Did I miss the ceremony?" she asked.
"No. We were just about to get started," Grif said. Everyone took their seats and Grif got up.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming. I know you've attending this kind of ceremony twice before and each time the ship ended up blowing up or something. So hopefully I'll have better luck with this one. Areida, would you like to sing your song now?" Grif said. She took the stage and Grif returned to his seat.
She looked around and began to sing 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony.'
"I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow-white turtle doves
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company
I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
For peace throughout the land
("That's the song I hear," Evi and Jennafina sang in the background.)
I'd like to teach the world to sing
("Let the world sing today," Evi and Jenna sang.)
In perfect harmony
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow-white turtle doves."
Areida finished singing and the group applauded. It was during this happy moment that Adelaide, the artificial intelligence of SPEW, appeared before them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm picking up a cluster of ships approaching YWS in a battle formation. They're approaching the outer defenses of YWS now," she warned.
"What can you tell us about these ships?" Grif asked.
"Not much. There are twenty of them, they only just entered our sensor range. They seem to be arrayed in four groups of five."
"The inner defense perimeter should be able to take out anything that the outer defense perimeter doesn't. Still, we'll finish this up quickly. Have you initiated the precautionary protocols?" Evi said.
"All ready working on it. SPEW members have been notified and we're preparing to evacuate YWS. There are about five hundred members on the station right now and I'm able to warn them as well. I don't know how long it will take to evacuate them all, maybe ten minutes?" Adelaide said.
"Let us know when you have a better idea of what's going on," Grif said. Adelaide disappeared. "Evi, Jenna, Areida, it's time to christen the ship."
They nodded and they each picked up three buckets with red ink in them. Evi was the first to speak.
"I christen thee the 'Gryphon III' in the name of SPEW. May you fly faithfully and use proper spelling and grammar," she spoke, tossing the ink in her bucket onto the hull of the ship. Areida was next to speak.
"I christen thee the 'Gryphon III' in the name of SPEW. May your shots be true and may your story have a happy ending," Areida spoke, tossing the ink in her bucket onto the hull of the ship. Jenna was last to speak.
"I christen thee the 'Gryphon III' in the name of SPEW. May your hull be sturdy under the hardest of hits and may you endure where other authors would tear out their hair," she spoke, tossing the ink in her bucket onto the hull of the ship.
"That concludes the christening. The ship is now fully operational, thank you all for coming," Grif said. Adelaide flickered back on.
"There is a problem. The outer defenses haven't been activated. The enemy fleet has opened fire and is destroying them without loss. Snoink needs to activate them, but she is ignoring my communications."
"Can you hack into the defenses and activate them?" Evi asked.
"I can't activate them, I can only access them."
"Where is Snoink?" Evi demanded.
"She's in the control room."
"Okay. Adelaide, sound the evacuation alarm, evacuate YWS. Grif, Areida, get to the control room and get Snoink to activate the defenses. Go now," Evi ordered.
"Yes ma'am," the two SPEW Commandos responded before racing off down the corridors into the heart of YWS Station. Evi turned back to the rest of them.
"The rest of you should get back to your ships."
"I don't have a ship!" Firearris said.
"Come with me then," Evi said.
)
Gender:
Points: 2090
Reviews: 863